Do you know anyone who has ever been cured from dementia?
Did you know every 3-4 seconds another patient is diagnosed with dementia?
Rates of dementia are estimated to triple in the next 30 years. Unlike some other diseases, with dementia the physical body is estimated to outlive the individual’s mental capabilities by 10-plus years.
Earlier this year, Pfizer, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, abandoned its research on dementia after losing billions. With no known cure for this catastrophic disease, it is imperative we look at new reports coming out helping us to better understand the science of Dementia and ways to help us avoid the devastating fate of this diagnosis. An article from a European Dementia commission titled: “Dementia Prevention, Intervention, and Care” published in the Lancet Journal detailed important information.
The Lancet report highlighted that nearly 30 percent of all dementia cases are considered preventable.
Phew! The report even laid out important modifiable lifestyle factors that can help each of us prevent dementia and, not surprisingly, the treatment of hearing loss is at the top of that list. By treating hearing loss one helps to reduce social isolation, cerebral atrophy and cognitive overload.
Dr. Doraiswamy, a neuropsychologist from Duke University said it best: “The benefits of correcting hearing loss on cognition are twice as large as the benefits from any cognitive-enhancing drugs now on the market. It should be the first thing we focus on.”
Most people are very surprised to learn that untreated hearing loss is a major risk factor for developing cognitive decline and dementia.
A medical study from Johns Hopkins demonstrated that untreated hearing loss increases the risk of developing dementia by 200 percent to 500 percent.
Dr. Frank Lin and his team at Johns Hopkins Medical Center found three primary effects of hearing loss that can contribute directly to your risk of dementia:
No. 1 – Social Isolation – Withdrawal from social situations is common in individuals with hearing loss. Keeping your brain mentally fit – with social interactions, communication, reading, and playing games – is a recipe for a long, healthy life!
No. 2 – Cerebral Atrophy – Multiple scientific studies have demonstrated that hearing impairment is associated with accelerated brain atrophy, which is a hallmark feature of dementia. As the auditory system ages, we lose sensory cells in our ears. Each cell has the potential to make connections with millions of cells throughout the brain affecting hearing, speech, memory, and beyond. Therefore, hearing loss equals brain function loss.
No. 3 – Cognitive Overload (Or Working Your Brain Too Hard) – With hearing loss, your brain is constantly on overload. The extra time it takes you to follow what is being said in a conversation can really add up, and this can harm your brain.
Hearing well is the number one step most of us can take in the battle against dementia!
Dr. Amy Sapodin, clinical audiologist, Advanced Hearing Center, www.advancedhearingcenter.org
